Tubular transportation element

ABSTRACT

The present invention discloses a tubular transportation element comprising a tube having at least one wall of plastic in one continuous piece, at least one deck member for vehicle traffic or other transportation within said tube, and said tube being dimensioned to have a desired load carrying capacity over a span having a length equal to several times the diameter of the tube so that the tube may be supported at its ends only.

0 Unlted States Patent 11 1 [111 3,859,682 Sulkiewicz Jan. 14, 11975 [54] TUBULAR TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT 1,800,819 4/1931 Donaldson .1 61/43 3,084,481 4 1963 S'lb k hl i 2 174 [75'] Inventor: Jan sulkewmi Helsmk" Fmland 3,289,366 1211966 A brzins. 82 17 1 73 Assignee; KM lnsinooritoimisto ()y KM 3,688,327 9/1972 Marshall.... 14/1 l g j y Helsinki Finland 3,738,112 6/1973 Grant 61/43 [22] Filed: May 1973 Primary ExaminrNile C. Byers, Jr. [21] App]. No.1 356,359 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Schuyler, Birch, Swindler,

McKie & Beckett [30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 3, 1972 Finland 1254/72 [57] ABSTRACT The present invention discloses a tubular transporta- 14/3, 14/1E8615d2/71/(7); tion element Comprising a tube having at least one [58] Fie'ld 94/1 wall of plastic in one continuous piece, at least one 4 deck member for vehicle traffic or other transportation within said tube, and said tube being dimensioned to have a desired load carrying capacity over a span [56] References Clted having a length equal to several times the diameter of UNITED STATES PATENTS the tube so that the tube may be supported at its ends 2,347 11/1841 Rogers 14/3 only, 11,467 8/1854 108,663 10/1870 5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1 TUBULAR TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tubular transportation element which is intended to be mounted on supports and possibly joined with other similar elements to form a tube of a desired length and inside of which there is at least onedeck member for vehicle traffic and/or other transportation.

2. Description of the Prior Art Traffic and environmental pollution caused by traffic are becoming a serious problem especially in big cities. Part of the problem is the controversy between vehicle traffic and pedestrian traffic and especially the dangers for pedestrians. Another part of the problem is the disturbing effect of traffic noise and air pollution due to the exhaust from vehicles. In northern countries additional traffic problems are caused by winter conditions, especially slippery roads and obstructions due to snow which cause traffic jams and increase the number of traffic accidents.

Attempts have been made to eliminate these difficulties by separating vehicle traffic from pedestrian traffic as much as possible in cities, but these solutions are usually quite expensive. As to the noise and pollution problem, attempts have been made to improve vehicles, but in this respect the results have been unsatisfactory, at least so far. Finally, no such solutions to these problems resulting from climatic conditions have been suggested as could eliminate them.

It has previously been suggested (French Pat. No. 1.354.067) to build a bridge comprising a tubular channel inside of which the traffic runs. In this known construction the tubular channel has not a long span but the tubular channel is supported at short intervals by a pre-stressed supporting cable. In addition the construction comprises two further tubes having triangular cross sections, all three tubes being connected to each other to form a triangular structure in which the tubes are supported by each other. The tubes forming the traffic channels are made in conventional steel or concrete structure.

It has also been suggested (French Pat. No. 1.313.884) to build a tunnel which floats below water and which comprises parallel tubular structures inside of which the traffic runs. According to this suggestion the tubes are also made in conventional steelor concrete structures.

On the other hand it is known to build houses of plastic tubes in one piece having large diameters. These known tubes are not, however, tubular elements having a span several times the diameter of the pipe.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide a transportation element which can be used for building a channel for traffic or other transportation purposes and by which the above disadvantages can be eliminated or in any case considerably reduced. A transportation element according to the invention is characterized in that a tubular element is formed of at least one wall made of reinforced plastic in a continuous piece and being dimensioned and/or stiffenedby stiffening members so that the element has a desired load carrying capacity over a span having a length several times the diameter of the element, when the element is mounted on supports at its ends only.

According to an embodiment of the invention the tubular element comprises an outer wall and an inner wall, the stiffening means, if any, being situated between these walls. In the case of stiffening means, closed chambers are formed between the outer wall and the inner wall extending either in the longitudinal direction of the element or at angles with respect to it and to each other, and which chambers are filled with stiffening members cast of concrete reinforced with, for example, glass or steel fibers. The wall or walls of the'element according to the invention are preferably made of a plastic being at least partially translucent to light.

In comparison with the known suggestions for arranging traffic within a tubular channel the transportation element according to the invention is advantageous in that the element has a low dead weight in relation to the load it is capable of carrying, the production and mounting of the element may be performed by a considerably smaller working force than by using the known constructions. Since the transportation element according to the invention is produced as one single continuous element having a considerable span, the building of a tubular channel of a certain length is pos sible to perform in a time being only a fragment of the time required for building a channel of equal length using the known constructions. The element according to the invention is also superior with respect to the transmission of light, sound insulation and maintenance costs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing,

FIG. 1 shows a cross section of a. transportation element according to the invention used as a traffic channel, and

FIG. 2 shows a detail of FIG. 1 on a greater scale.

FIGS. 3-5 are axonometric pictures of a transportation element according to another embodiment of the invention, also used as a traffic channel.

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a traffic channel built in a town street and composed of transportation elements according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED V EMBODIMENTS The transportation element shown in FIG. 1 consists of a tube portion 1 having a closed circumference and consisting of an outer wall 2 and an inner wall 3. As can be seen from FIG. 2, the outer wall is provided with pairs of flanges 4 extending in the longitudinal direction terminating adjacent the inner wall 3 and thus forming closed spaces intended for stiffening members 5 which can be cast in an appropriate manner from a material such as concrete reinforced with, for example, glass or steel fibers, either in connection with the production of the tube or at the final installation site. Flanges 4 can naturally be just as well provided in the inner wall or partly in the inner and. partly in the outer wall-Tube section 1 is preferably made of a plastic, such as polyester or polyurethane, which preferably is transluscent and which is appropriately reinforced, the length of the tube and the number and strength of the stiffening members being chosen so that the tube por' tion has a desired load carrying capacity over a certain span, when supported at its ends only. The manufacturing of the tube portion can then take place by previously known technology either in a factory, in which case the prefabricated parts are transported to the installation site, or at the installation site. The ends of the tube portion may be provided with coupling means for joining several portions to each other into a tube of the desired length. These coupling means, as well as the possibly necessary sealing means, can be of any appropriate and previously known structure and are not shown in the drawing.

In FIG. 1 the cross section of tube portion 1 is shown as being mainly elliptical. It is, however, evident that the shape and the dimensions of the cross section can vary considerably depending on the purpose and the local circumstances.

Inside of tube portion 1 there is a deck member 6 extending over the entire inner space of the tube portion in its transversal direction and being secured to the inner wall 3 of the tube portion in any appropriate manner and supported at a sufficient number of points. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, deck member 6 is supported by two support legs 7 which are also secured to inner wall 3 of the tube portion and which may extend over the entire length of the deck member. The deck member and the support legs can be cast in one piece. Deck member 6 with its support legs 7 can be, for example, a prefabricated concrete element having the same length as the tube portion or forming a predetermined module thereof, or it can be cast inside tube portion 1 after the latter has been installed. The upper surface of deck member 6 can, when desired, be coated with a suitable material, such as asphalt.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 35 differs from the above mainly in regard to the stiffening of the tube portion. As can be seen from FIG. 3 which shows the outer wall 2 of the tube portion, stiffening members 2 form a grid structure in which the various stiffening members form an angle with both the longitudinal direction of the tube portion and each other. The inner wall 3 of the tube portion is mainly similar to that in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 shows rail-like attachment guides 8 for the deck member 6 and its supports 7, shown in FIG. 5, the structure of the deck member being similar to that shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a traffic channel formed of transportation elements according to the invention, installed in a town street and supported on pillars 9. Deck member 6 forms a roadway for motor vehicles while a pedestrian passage has been placed under the deck member in the space between the supports 7. The pedestrian passage may consist of, for example,

conveyors 11, 12 moving in opposite directions. In the spaces outside of the supports 7 there are various pipe systems 13 and electric and other cables 14. Number 15 refers to lighting equipment.

The necessary access ramps for vehicle traffic can be constructed either as open structures or by using transportation elements according to the invention. At necessary points staircases, escalators or elevators are provided for pedestrians to reach the passage.

A transportation element according to the invention may also be used as a bridge or viaduct structure in which case natural ventilation is sufficient at least under normal conditions. Furthermore, a transportation element according to the invention can be installed underground as a tunnel structure, in which case mechanical ventilation must be provided when necessary.

What is claimed is:

l. A tubular transportation element for mounting on horizontally spaced apart supports and having at least one deck member within said element for vehicle traffic and other transportation, said element comprising a circumferentially closed outer wall of reinforced plastic extending as continuous unitary piece over the length of said element between said supports, and a circumferentially closed inner wall extending as a continuous unitary piece over the entire length of said element between said supports coextensive with and at a distance from said outer wall, generally radial partition members extending between said outer and inner walls generally in the longitudinal direction of and over the entire length of said element and forming with said outer and inner walls closed compartments at spaced positions along the circumference of said walls, reinforcement material filling said formed compartments and forming unitary stiffening members, said stiffening members together with said walls imparting to said element a preselected load carrying capacity over a span between said supports comprising the entire length of said element and being equal to several times the diameter of said element.

2. A transportation element as in claim 1, said stiffening members consisting of reinforced concrete.

3. Transporation element as in claim 1, said partition members extending parallel with the longitudinal direction of said element.

4. Transportation element as in claim 1, said partition members extending at an angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of said element.

5. Transportation element as in claim 1, said walls being at least partly transluscent. 

1. A tubular transportation element for mounting on horizontally spaced apart supports and having at least one deck member within said element for vehicle traffic and other transportation, said element comprising a circumferentially closed outer wall of reinforced plastic extending as continuous unitary piece over the length of said element between said supports, and a circumferentially closed inner wall extending as a continuous unitary piece over the entire length of said element between said supports coextensive with and at a distance from said outer wall, generally radial partition members extending between said outer and inner walls generally in the longitudinal direction of and over the entire length of said element and forming with said outer and inner walls closed compartments at spaced posiTions along the circumference of said walls, reinforcement material filling said formed compartments and forming unitary stiffening members, said stiffening members together with said walls imparting to said element a preselected load carrying capacity over a span between said supports comprising the entire length of said element and being equal to several times the diameter of said element.
 2. A transportation element as in claim 1, said stiffening members consisting of reinforced concrete.
 3. Transporation element as in claim 1, said partition members extending parallel with the longitudinal direction of said element.
 4. Transportation element as in claim 1, said partition members extending at an angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of said element.
 5. Transportation element as in claim 1, said walls being at least partly transluscent. 